What are your thoughts on C# out variables? <https...

# random

[avolkmann]

What are your thoughts on C# out variables? https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/dotnet/csharp/language-reference/keywords/out-parameter-modifier

[Emil Kantis]

Not my cup of tea. Glad Kotlin don't have it 🤷

[Tobias Berger]

same. I prefer lambdas for side effects. Or use simple wrapper classes for returning multiple values

[avolkmann]

Agreed, I hardly see any situations where out vars are an elegant solution.

[avolkmann]

Really appreciate how Kotlin can solve many different use cases without introducing new language constructs.

[darkmoon_uk]

I did a fair bit of C# and, on several occasions, would get enticed to use out params.. I noticed though, that I always ended up refactoring them out again, because in the long term it never proved to be the simplest/most 'API ergonomic' solution... just an anecdote but there you go.

[darkmoon_uk]

Destructuring might be a valid case e.g. picking out r, g, b, components from colours; but then Kotlin already elegantly provides that from data classes e.g.
val (r,g,b) = Color.fromHex("#FFBBAA")

[elect]

I'd prefer much more

int initializeInMethod;
OutArgExample(::initializeInMethod);

[Youssef Shoaib [MOD]]

Maybe actually some nicer syntax for setter methods could be helpful here? because currently the ::initializeInMethod example won't work because references to local variables aren't allowed yet. I'm thinking either ::variable.setter could have better inlining, or maybe we could have some special syntax to refer to a setter of a property

[elect]

of course you need to use a non-local variable

[elect]

however local variable reference are coming sooner or later

[Jason5lee]

It’s a historical product for TryBlahblah methods. Nowaday you should just enable nullable check and return null (unfortunately Result<T, E> is never easy to implemented because C# type inference is not the best).